San Diego

99 Ranch Market

A mostly California chain of Asian supermarkets. Here you can come face to face with your dinner - live! The entire back wall of this full-size supermarket is the fish department - and many of them are still swimming. This is such a special and unique market that a local cooking school offers group tours.

Altamirano-Pedrorena House

Built in 1869, as a family residence, but is now the site of a rock, gem, and jewelry shop.

Amici Park

A small park in Little Italy, notable for its bocce (a popular sport in Italy) courts. You can also find Italian recipes engraved onto the sidewalk plaques and tables around the park.

Athenaeum Music & Arts Library

A nonprofit, membership library which sponsors art exhibitions, concerts, lectures, and art classes.

Tue Thu-Sat 10AM-5:30PM, Wed 10AM-8:30PM, closed Sundays and Mondays·Free

Backyard Kitchen and Tap

Lunch, dinner, and brunch on weekends, complete with seasonal cocktails with events on weekday nights. On Fridays and Saturdays, it converts to another popular nightclub.

Thu-Sun

Baja Beach Cafe

Mexican restaurant on the boardwalk with a Mexican seafood specialty. Including fish tacos, hamburgers, margaritas, and more.

Sun-Thu 8AM-12:30AM, Fri Sat 8AM-2AM

Ballast Point

Little Italy tasting room and gastropub for one of San Diego's best known craft brewers. Several other locations around the city.

Basic

Outstanding thin crust pizza in a renovated warehouse space. Open late. Features both red (with tomato sauce) and white (cheese only) pies.

Belmont Park

A seaside amusement park located near the southern end of Mission Beach, Belmont Park is a landmark with a number of shops, restaurants, an arcade, and a bunch of rides. The big attraction is the Giant Dipper, a historic roller coaster that is one of the only two remaining oceanfront roller coasters still operating on the west coast. Also popular is The Plunge, a historic indoor heated swimming pool that continues to be the city's largest indoor pool. Among the other rides is a FlowRider (a simulated wave attraction which you can bodyboard on), an antique carousel, bumper cars, slides, pendulum rides, tilt-a-whirl, and a trampoline.

Open April–December, hours vary by season and day of week; typically 11AM-8PM·General admission free, ride tickets $1 each (rides take anywhere from 3-6 tickets each); unlimited ride passes available

Bencotto Italian Kitchen

Modern and classic hand-made pasta dishes. Multi-year winner of critics and readers choice for Best Italian in San Diego Magazine.

Tue-Sun 11:30AM-close, open Mondays June-Sept

Bernardo Winery

A winery that dates back to 1889 on what was a Spanish land grant.

Birch Aquarium at Scripps

The public center for the renowned Scripps Institution of Oceanography (of University of California, San Diego), this aquarium has many fantastic exhibits, with oceanic species from all over the Pacific Ocean displayed, as well as sharks, a tide pool, a large kelp tank, and a coral reef (with actual living coral). The museum also has some spectacular views of the ocean and La Jolla as well as some nifty tide pools where you can touch tide-pool animals.

Daily 9AM-5PM·$17 adults, $14 teens, $13 seniors, $12.50 children, $12 students, free for children age 2 and under

Black Hawk Smithy & Stable

Established in 1860. At the site, visitors can watch blacksmithing and other demonstrations.

Black's Beach

Set against high cliffs, Black's Beach is the largest nude beach in the country. There are two parts of the beach. There is the southern part in the City of San Diego, where nudity is not allowed (although this rule is rarely enforced), and the northern part in Torrey Pines State Park, where clothing is purely optional. Black's Beach has one of the most powerful beach breaks in Southern California, making it a popular, but dangerous, surfing spot. To get down to the beach, you have three options. First, you can walk from La Jolla Shores, which is a long stretch. Second, you can go to the Gliderport and take a breathtaking path on the side of the cliff that goes straight down. Don't come in high heels, although it's a safe enough path for surfers to run by you with their surfboards. The top is a great spot to watch the sunset! Third, you can drive along the cliffs north from the Gliderport. Park in the last allowable spot, and take another breathtaking path down. The second path is less beautiful but takes you farther towards the unexplored parts of the beach. The second path forks at the very bottom of the cliff. If you take the fork, which goes into the canyon, you will arrive via a twisty path at the bottom of a hidden waterfall which is home to hummingbirds. It's a few hundred feet in and well worth the walk. The full moon drum circle goes on here each month. Look for it on a rainbowgathering website. It starts at dawn and goes till dusk. People bring tents and sleeping bags, though most go back up the cliffs. This is a no alcohol event, but feel free to bring wood, a drum, juice and a trashbag to clean up.

Bleu Boheme

Charming, rustic neighborhood French brasserie in the heart of Kensington. They feature a prix fixe Bohemian menu every night from 5-6PM, all night on Tuesdays. Try the moules frites in Roquefort sauce.

Blind Lady Ale House

With a pub vibe and aesthetic, BLAH's a fantastic place to drink a wide selection of local craft brew and munch on some pizza. During the week it's not nearly as crowded--you'll be able to find a spot on the long wooden tables. If you ride your bike there, you can get a 10% discount when you show your helmet at the bar.

5PM-midnight

Blue Palm

Coffee shop right by Mariners Basin. Also serves breakfast foods, tucked away.

Tue-Sun 7AM-3PM, closed Mon

Blue Stocking Books & Bindery

An excellent independent bookstore specializing in rare and out-of-print books.

Fri-Mon 11AM-9:30PM, Tue Thu 11AM-7PM

Border Field State Park

Mainly within Imperial Beach, but only accessible from San Ysidro. It includes the International Friendship Park, which is just inland from the place where the border meets the ocean. The road in the park is only open to vehicles on weekends when there is no flooding, but the park is still open when the gates are closed.

Brian's 24

As its name suggests, it's open 24/7. Tasty but fairly standard American food.

Cabrillo National Monument

Located at the tip of Point Loma, Cabrillo National Monument commemorates Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, who led the first European exploration to what is now the west coast of the United States, in 1542. Point Loma was one of the places where he stopped, and the first contact Europeans made with what would one day be California. The monument has a statue of Cabrillo and exhibits on his expedition in the visitor center.

Open daily 9AM-5PM·$20/vehicle, $15/motorcycle, $10/person walking or bicycling in; national parks passes applicable

Caroline's Seaside Cafe

Casual cafe situated right next to the beach on the UCSD-SIO campus. The cafe serves breakfast items including eggs, pancakes and lunch items including sandwiches and burgers. Seated is first-come-first-served casual setting (so no waiters only servers). Parking is limited and may need a UCSD parking pass on weekdays, however, 2-hr street parking is available.

8AM-3PM

Casa de Estudillo

A beautiful historic adobe house that has been lovingly restored to its original appearance.

Cass Street Bar and Grill

This comfortable, laid-back bar with deep sea fishing themed decor has a good crowd at practically any time of the day, night or week. It's a beer and wine bar, so cocktails drinks use a weak Asian vodka called Han Vodka, but the twelve or so beers on tap and various other bottled beers are enough to keep most customers happy. The profusion of TV screens make it a popular daytime sports bar, the pool tables and shuffle board table keep it popular at night. The menu has some great seafood and burgers, served until about 10PM, and has great breakfast options too. This bar has a much more neighborly feel compared to the meat-market atmosphere of some of the more popular Garnet Street bars.

Centro Cultural de la Raza

A cultural arts center dedicated to promoting Chicano, Mexican, Indigenous and Latino art and culture. The gallery showcases rotating exhibits and performances regularly take place here.

Tue-Sun noon-4PM·Free; donations accepted

Children's Park

An unusual park with lots of grassy hills, shade trees, and a large water feature. Unfortunately, this park is usually occupied by homeless, so it wouldn't be a safe destination for children.

Children's Pool Beach

This beach is a favorite breeding spot for harbor seals. The beach is closed Dec 15-May 15 during breeding season, but you can still observe the seals from a safe distance. This beach used to be the children's beach, and there is an ongoing dispute between animal rights supporters and others who disagree about who should own the beach. Depending on the current turn of events, swimming may or may not be permitted. Occasionally, the seals vanish, but move a few hundred feet to the right, close to the cove itself.

Cosmopolitan Restaurant and Hotel

A beautiful dining establishment in a building built by Juan Bandini in 1829. Later, in the 1860s, a second story was added and it became the Cosmopolitan Hotel. You can eat in the garden amid flowers, trees, and fountains or inside the wonderful historic building.

Mon-Sat 11AM-10PM, Sun 10AM-10PM

Crushed

Brunch and dinner place known for their eggs benedicts and mimosas. Long wait time during the weekends.

$

Dog Beach

At the northern end of Ocean Beach, dog lovers can bring their pets along for a romp in the waves or a swim in the flood channel.